Printing-machine.



No. 555,355. Patented Aug. 7, I900;

w. SCOTT.

PRINTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1895.)

5 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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No. 655,355. Patented Aug. 7, I900.

' W. TT.

NTI ACHINE.

Application filed Feb. 28, 18 5.)

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Shea! 2.

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- Patented Aug. 7, I900. w. scan.

PRINTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1895.) N 0 II o d a I.)

5 Sheets-Sh wt 3 Tn: noams PETERS coy. Puo'rourun. wlmmmmn, o. c.

N0. 655,355. Patented Aug. 7, I900.

' W. SCOTT.

PRINTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1895.) 7 (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet '4.

Corrections in Letters Patent No. 655,35

h rran STATEsj ATENT LTER soorr, or PLAINFIELD, NEw JERSEY.

PRINTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,355, dated August *7, 1900.

Application filed February 28, 1895. Serial No. 539,962. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that IJVALTER SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful ,Lmprovementsin Printing-Machines, of which time following is a specification.

This invention relates to printing-machines in general, and has for its object the general improvement of that class of machines known as web-perfecting and folding machines.

The invention is shown in connection with three perfecting-presses arranged one above another in parallel planes, which machines 1 are or may be adapted to perfect webs of any desired width, as single or double or more, it being understood that a single-wid th web has in ordinary newspaper-work two pages side by side across this width and that a doublewidth web has four such pages thereon. In onnection with this printing mechanism are ghown three folding-machines and mechanism 8 associating the webs in any desired manar to produce copies of four, six, eight, ten, twelve, fourteen, sixteen, eighteen, twenty, twenty-two, twenty-four, or more pages.

some of these cases the webs may be run directly from the printing mechanism without turning or sidewise transfer to the folding mechanisms and in other cases the doublewidth webs are to be split and one part thereof transferred sidewise to bring it in register with and against the other half thereof in or der to secure the requisite number of pages in the case of one or more of the machines. The forms upon the cylinders may be arranged with their columns extending longitudinally or circumferentially thereof, as desired. Since it sometimes happens that the size of a newspaper may be varied, as by omitting one or more columns thereof, and as this is best done when the columns run around the form-cylinders, it is necessary to adjust the longitudinal folder to suit the change in size. In one of the folders shown in the accompanying drawings this is met by moving the folder upon the base plate to accommodate the changed size and in others by adjusting the form er and the folding-rollers independently of each other. In associating three webs, one on top of the other on a roller, it frequently happens that while the two outer webs are moved by the mechanism so as to be kept in register the middle or inner web is not pulled by an equal force, so that it gets out of register by lagging behind the others. Ordinarily this is compensated for by changing the friction upon the spindle of the roller from which the web comes; but this is attended with difficulty and delay. It is an object of this invention to avoid this annoyance and delay and to cause the inner web to be fed with the same speed as the outer webs. This is done by mechanism which acts only at certain points of the width of the webs. In some situations that end of the printing-machine at which the rolls of paper are supported is so near to some obstruction or wall that it is very difficult to get the rolls of paper in place on the frame of the machine. It is an object of this invention to do this handilyand speedily.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing the printing-presses and folders. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the folders shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a modification of the arrangement of the folders shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the roller upon which the webs shown in Fig. 1 are associated or brought into contact with each other. Fig. 3 is an end view from the left of the machine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end elevation showing the arrangement of the working parts of the two folders shown side by side in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 shows a modification thereof. Fig. 6 is an end view, enlarged, of the longitudinal folder shown in Fig. 1, having in addition part of theframework and adjustment devices. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal view of-the mechanism shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 6, showing a modification of the gear and the folder. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the mechan ism shown in Fig. 8. Figs. 10,11,and 12 are detail views of the point of the longitudinal folder or former or internal guide and its relation to coacting external turners orfoldingrollers.

Referring to the drawings, the printing mechanism shown consists of the usual impression and form cylinders I F, the formcylinders being provided with any suitable inking apparatus and other adjuncts. The rolls from which the webs are fed are supported in brackets at one end of the framework of the machine, (this framework is not shown in full, as it may be of any design or construction,) said brackets being marked with the reference 2. Beneath the brackets 2 for the upper and middle machines U and hi there are provided horns or rails h h, of which the horns h are integral with or may be rigidly affixed to the frame, while the horns h are pivoted on vertical axes by means of pintles and gudgeons or otherwise, so as to be capable of swinging aside, as shown in Fig; 3, -so that the rolls of paper R for the middle and upper machines may be run in behind their places by means of the rail 3 and traveler 4, after which the horns h are swung back parallel with the horns 71/, the rolls lowered onto the same, and released from the traveler, after which the rolls are rolled into place on the brackets 2. The rail 3 is at right angles, or nearly so, to the machine. The

roll for the lower machine L can be'rolled from the hoist along the floor into position. Hence no horns are shown for that machine. The webs are led from the rolls to their respective machines in any ordinary or suitable way and are thenceled around guide-rolls 5 to the roller 6, where they are associated. The upper and middle machines are or may be provided with suitable web-take-up devices, as rollers 7, carried by pivoted arms 8, so that the webs maybe brought into proper register with each other upon the roller 6. From the roller 6 the webs are led to one or more of the folding-machines, according to the product which is to be delivered from the machine, as will hereinafter appear.

The cylinders of the printing-machines are .geared together in the usual way and are driven by any suitable means, as by the side shaft 9, bevel-gearing 10, and vertical shaft 11, by means of which one cylinder of each machine receives motion from the side shaft. The roller 6 is likewise driven from the said side shaft by means of the bevel-gearing 12 and the vertical shaft 13. The side shaft 9 also drives the folders, as hereinafter described.

The roller 6 is so constructed that zones or bands thereof or the tapes thereon project slightly beyond the rest of the surface thereof, the purpose of this construction being to avoid any slip of the middle web, so that the proper register of the webs is maintained. The slip of the middle web, which occurs with asmooth or non-corrugated roller, is probably due to the filmsof air sucked in between the fastmoving webs. The films would hinder contact of the middle web with the outer webs, which are driven by frictional contact with rollers. With the corrugated roller in use, however, these films are broken up into several streams, which are separated by the corrugations where the webs are all in contact with each other. The web from the lower machine is shown as being supported by means of tapes 14., which run upon suitable pulleys or rollers 15 and the roller (5. In Fig. 2 this roller 6 is shown as being turned down at the point where the tapes 14: go over it, so as to be of slightly-less diameter than the other parts. The thickness of the tapes, however, is such that their outer surfaces where they pass over this roller are at a greater distance from the axis 16 of the roller than those portions 17 of the roller which adjoin the tapecarrying part. Of course this construction could be inverted-that is to say, the parts of the roller 6 carrying the tapes 14 could be sunk, so that the high (and in this case narrow) portions of the roller itself (or rings thereon) would act upon the webs and the tapes would not.

The folding mechanism shown in Figs. 1, 2,

side each other next the printing-machine,-

and the third folder G which is placed in advance of one or the other of these folders. Each of these folders is composed of a longitudinal former or internal guide 17, the pairs of folding-rollers 18 and drawing-rollers 19, the cutting or perforating cylinders 20 21, sets of tapes ing roller 24, a collecting-cylinder 25, and the driving mechanism for said parts. The tapes 22 extend about rollers or pulleys 22 adjacent the cylinders 25, and guide the sheets down to the grippers 30. The folding-rollers 18 are shown as composed of two cylindrical parts of different diameters, which are joined together by means of the cone 0. The former 17 consists of a triangle whose edges are rounded off to give a smooth surface for the paper and whose edges come together in a point or miter-joint, whose edge is a curve formed by the intersection of the edges of the triangle. This curved edge is substantially of the same curve the fold of the web assumes in passing from the plane to the longitudinally-folded form. best result as regards the folding and little wear as regards the longitudinal former, especially as the rollers, at the point thereof, are reduced in section, so that the point can come down between them, as herein described. The paper runs upon this corner edge to the point a, (see Figs. 10 and 11,) beyond which the fold-line does not touch the triangle. This point a is preferably in the plane passing through the axes of the folding-rollers 18, or nearly so. The metal of the former may or may not extend beyond this point a. Fig. 12 is a detached view showing the point of the former and a crosssection at right angles to one edge of the former, showing the curvature of the same. The webs folded by the two formers G G may be folded and delivered separately, or they may be associated side by side together after the folding, as indicated by the line 20', which shows the course From this it results that there is the 22 22, the breaking-bar 23 and c'oactof the web from the folder G to the folder G,

where it may be associated with the web from folder G either at the cutting-cylinder 21 or the drawingcylinder 19, as indicated. The web from the folder G passes about one of the drawing-rollers 19, the fixed or stationary roller 27, and the adjustable roller 28, the

last-named being for the purpose of securing register between the printed matter on the webs.

The action of the described mechanism is as follows: The longitudinal folds are given by the formers 17 and rollers 18, and the webs are perforated transversely by the out ting-cylinders 20 21. The tapes 22 22, breaker 23 24s, and collecting-cylinder 25 are driven at a higher rate of speed than the folding mechanism, as by the gearing 29, so that as the leading ends of the webs are taken by the grippers 50 the sheets are torn therefrom. The sheets are guided down to the grippers of the cylinders 25, as by the tapes 22 22, and the cylinders deliver the sheets to the tapes 22 35, whence they are delivered in any suitable way.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the collecting-cylinder 25 delivers the sheets directly upon the vibratory guide-rods 31,which are operated at suitable times so as to permit of the collection of sheets by the cylinder 25. The sheets are delivered from the guide-rods 34C in anysuitable way. The tapes'35, running on rollers or pulleys 36, coact with the cylinder 25 when the latter is collecting sheets.

In case one or more of the machines are perfecting webs of greater than single width and it is desired to associate one part of the web either with the remainder of itself or with the web or webs from the other machine or machines suitable turning-bars may be used for this purpose. Referring to Fig. 1 the reference 37 marks a set of turning-bars by which the lower webs or a part thereof may be transferred laterally to bring it underneath the other part of itself orto associate it with the web or webs printed at the other side of the machine, a splitter 38' coacting with the roller 6 for the purpose of splitting this web. In this case a part of the tapes 14 would have to be omitted or would have to take a path different from that shown in Fig. 1 to permit of such sidewise transfer. The tapes 39, passing about the pulleys 40 and roller 41, direct the webs onto the folders. A splitter 42 may coact with the first of the rollers 41 todivide the webs longitudinally. A set of turning-bars 43 may be so placed as to associate halves of the webs before they are taken to the folder G The folder G may be adjusted or moved transversely of the machine, upon the baseplate B thereof, by means of capstan-screws 101, which engage with threaded holes in lugs 102, which rise from the base-plate B and the ends of which bear against a frame 103, in which the working parts of the folderas the former, the folding and drawing rolls, and other parts-are mounted. The frame 103 is 'gitudinally in the middle.

guided upon tracks or ways 10 on the baseplate B, and the folder G is thus adjustable as a unit or whole transversely of the web or webs running thereto.

Before describing the mechanisms shown in Figs. 6, 7,8, and 9 the operation of the machine to produce copies of four or more pages will be described. As there is or may be one or more deliveries for the folders shown, it will be seen that three copies of a four-page paper may be delivered by running all three machines with a single-width web or one of the machines with a double-width web and one with a single-width web, the double-width web being split before coming to the folders.

Assuming that three copies of a six-page publication are to be printed and delivered, the machine may be operated as follows: Two of the machines would have forms three abreast upon their cylinders, at one end thereof, and the other machine would have forms three abreast upon the other end,and the webs would be of corresponding width and would be split into sections, of which one. section would be half the width of the other. \Vith the folders in the positions shown in Fig. 2 two of the wider sections of the webs would go, respectively, to the folders G G and the .remainin g wide section would go to the folder G, one of the narrow sections would go straight with the web to the folder G, another of the narrow sections would go straight with the wide section to either the folder G or G while the remaining narrow section would pass about turners and be associated with the remaining wide section and go to the same folder.

Three copies of an eight-page publication could be printed and delivered by means of the use of but one turner, double-width webs being used upon all the machines and splitters being employed to divide the webs 1011- In this case one half the webs from the lower and middle machines would go to the folder G and the other half to the folder G, while one half the web of the upper machine would be associated with the other half and would go to folder G Two ten-page copies can be produced and delivered simultaneously by having threepage-wide webson two of the machines, the forms of which machines would be on opposite ends of the cylinders and a double-width web on the other machine. The twonarrow webs would overlap two-thirds on each other. One splitter would divide the three webs so that two-thirds of the first narrow web, onethird of the second narrow web, and one-half the double-width web would go to one folder (without turning) and one-third of the first narrow web, two thirds of the second narrow web, and the other half of the double-width web would go to another folder.

Copies of twelve, fourteen, sixteen, eighteen, twenty, twenty-two, and twenty-four pages maybe produced by this mechanism;

but it is not thought to be necessary to describe the operations and arrangements in detail, since these will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Referring to that part of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the references 17 18 19 20 21 mark the parts heretofore described and the reference K marks a portion of the framework. The cutting orperforating cylinders 2O 21 are journaled in this framework in the usual manner in boxes 45, one roller being pressed toward the other, as by springs 46, the pressure or distance between the sur faces of the cylinder being regulated by the screw 47, as commonly. One of the rollers 19 is journaled in a framework 48, which is capable of movement relative to the frame K across the same, the amount of such motion being regulated by means of the screws 49 and stops 50, against which one or the other of said screws abut, according to the position of the frame 48. The other of said rollers 19 is journaled in arms 51, which are pivoted to the said frame 48, the said rollers 19 being pressed together by means of springs 52, hereinafter described. The rollers 18 are carried by T-shaped frame-pieces 53, which are adjustable upon the frame 48 in a vertical direction by means of slots 54 and screw or set bolts 55. One of the rollers 18 is jonrnaledin bearings 56, which are provided with slots 57 and are secured to the T-piece by screw or set bolts 58, so that said roller may be adjusted upon the T-piece. The other of said rollers 18 is journaled in arms 59, which are pivoted in a carrier-piece 60, which is adjustable upon the T-piece 53 in the same way in which the carrier-piece 56 is adjustable. The arms 59 are shown as being in the form of bell-levers, one end of which carries the roller 18 and the other end of which is connected with the arm 51, above described,by means of the adjustable connection or turnbuckle 61, so that motion of either of said bell-levers is communicated to the other. The spring 52 above named abuts against an arm or bracket of the frame 48 and against the arm 59, pressing the rollers 18 together and through the described connections to the arm 51 also pressing the rollers 19 together. The rollers 18 are driven by means of the belt zfrom one of the rollers 20. By preference the parts are so proportioned that the distance between the surfaces of the rollers 18 equals the distance between the surfaces of the rollers 19 in all positions of the said mechanism. The said distances may be varied or adjusted by any suitable means, that shown consisting of the rod 62, which engages with the arm 48 by means of a screw-threaded connect-ion 63, so that the rotation of the said rod 62 by means of a hand-wheel or lever 64 moves the rod longitudinally of itself upon the said frame. The said rod 62 is provided with two cones 65, which act or bear upon the said lever or arm 51 to move it against the force of the spring 52, and so separate the rollers 18 19 when the rod 62 is moved in one direction, and which permits the rod 62 to bring the said rollers toward each other as the rod 62 is moved in the contrary direction. The frame K is provided with two or more notches or grooves 66, in one or another of which the rod 67, supporting the former 17, may be placed and fixed by means of the screw-nuts 68 and the former be adjusted as to position relative to the rollers 18. If desired, the rollers 18 may be geared together, as by gear-wheels 69, and the rollers 19 are shown in Fig. 6 as being driven from the cutting-cylinder 20 by means of the gears 70 71. The gear 70 is carried by the slide 72 on the frame 48. This slide is shown as having slots 73, which engage pins 74 on said frame, and as having its lower end rounded or circular and bearing upon the rounded or circular block 75 on the fixed framework K, the said block 75 being concentric with the cylinder 20. The function of this construction is that whenever the frame 48 is moved to one side or the other the gear'7O is carried along therewith and maintains the connection between the cylinder 20 and the rollers 19, so that the latter are always driven properly from the side cylinder 20.

Referring now to the modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the references 17 18 19 48 49 51 53- 56 6O 7O 75 mark the parts above described. The freely-movable one of the rollers 18 is supported in slides 59, which are pressed inwardthat is, in such manner as to bring the rollers together by means of the springs 52", which surround the said slides and abut against the shoulder thereon and against the in g of the carrier-piece or bracket 60. The rollers 19 are pressed together by means of the spring 52, surrounding the rod 76, which is pivoted with the arm 51 and which passes loosely through the lug 77 on the frame 48 and has one or more nuts 78 on the end thereof. Between these nuts and the lug the said spring acts. The arms 51 are provided with the adjustable abutment or set-screw 79, on which the rods 80 (which freely slide in hearings on the frame 48) bear. The cones 65 on the rod 62 bear upon these rods 80, whereby the longitudinal motion of the rod 62 in either direction separates or permits the springs 52" to bring together the rollers 19. For the purpose of causing a corresponding movement of the rollers 18 a train of gearing 81 81" from the rod 62 to the rod 62 (having cones 65 thereon) is provided to move the bearings of the freely-movable one of the rollers 18 by means of the arms or projections 82 thereon. The rod 62 is carried by the brackets 60, and any adjustment of the latter moves the said rod and causes a variation in the gearing by which the said rod was driven. To compensate for this movement in either direction and to cause the said rollers 18 to be separated exactly as rollers 19 are separated, the member 81 of the train of gearing is j ournaled in the links 83, which are pivoted upon the journals of the adjoining members of the train of gears, it being understood that all the members of said train except the gear 81 are journaled in the frame 48. On turning the handle 64: to the right in Figs. 8 and 9 the rods are depressed and the gears 18 and 19 are caused to separate. On turning said handle to the left the cones G5 are caused to recede from the rods 80 and the arms 82, thus permitting the springs 52 52 to press the rollers 18 and 19 together.

Instead of arranging the folder G2 directly ahead of one of the folders G G, as in Figs. 1 and 2, the said folder G may be placed at the side, as in ,Fig. 2, suitable turners 43 being provided for directing the webs thereon. The rollers and cylinders of the folders are driven from the said shaft 9 by trains of gearing 100, as shown in Fig. 1.

Many changes in details and substitutions and in parts of combinations may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, which is not limited to the precise forms thereof shown in the accompanying drawings and above described. The rollers 19 may be omitted altogether, and the foldin g-rollers 18 may act as drawing-rollers also.

\Vhen both sets of rollers 18 and 19 are used, it is not essential that the distance between the members of each set should equal that between the members of the other set, though the proportions of the mechanism shown are such that this is the casein the form herein described and illustrated. The rollers 18 may not act as drawing-rollers, in which case they may be at a fixed (oradjustable) distance apart.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire Letters Patent for,

1. The combination of a plurality of printing-presses delivering each a web, and a circumferentially-corrugated roller around which the webs are deflected as they are associated, substantially as described.

2. The combination of two pairs of folding or forwarding rollers held together by springpressure, a hand-wheel or lever, a rod operated thereby, cones or wedges thereon, and connections from said cones or wedges to said pairs of rollers, whereby the pressures thereof on the printed products may be varied simultaneously, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the sidewise-adjustable former, of the supplemental frame movable sidewise independently thereof on the main framework, the folding or forwarding rollers carried by said supplemental frame, a second frame movable up and down on said supplemental frame, and folding-rollers carried by said second frame, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the sidewise-adjustable former, of the supplemental frame movable sidewise independently thereof on the main framework, the folding or forwarding rollers carried by said supplemental frame, a second frame movable up and down on said supplemental frame, and folding rollers carried by said second frame, and ad justable sidewise thereon, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a printing-machine delivering a plurality of webs one over another,an internal guide or longitudinal former adjustable transversely of said machine, external guides or folding-rollers for coaction with said internal guide and likewise but independently adjustable, and a second longitudinal-folding and transversely-cutting machine adjustable as a whole transversely of the printing-machine, substantially as de* scribed.

6. The combination of two pairs of folding or forwarding rollers, movable bearings for one roller of each pair, connections between said movable bearings whereby motion of the bearings for one roller of one pair is com municated to the movable bearing of the mov= able roller of the other pair, a spring pressing one of said movable rollers toward the other roller of its pair, and means for moving said movable rollers against the force of said spring, substantially as described.

7. The combination of two pairs of folding or forwarding rollers, pivoted bearings for one roller of each pair, connections between said movable bearings whereby motion of the bearings for one roller of one pair is communicated to the movable bearing of the movable roller of the other pair, a spring pressing one of said movable rollers toward the other roller of its pair, and means for mov-- ing said movable rollers against the force of said spring, substantially as described.

8. The combination of two pairs of folding or forwarding rollers, movable bearings for one roller of each pair, a hand-wheel or lever, a rod operated thereby, cones or wedges on said rod, connections from said cones or wedges to said movable bearings whereby the bearings are moved simultaneously, and a spring pressing said movable rollers toward the other rollers, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 26th day of February, A. D. 1895.

WVALTER SCOTT.

Witnesses:

R. W. BARKLEY, O. A. BRoDEK.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 655,355, granted August 7, 1900, upon the application of Walter Scott, of Plainfield, New Jersey, for an improvement in Printing-Machines, errors appear requiring correction, as follows: The drawings forming a part of said patent should have been corrected, as directed by the patentee in an amendment duly filed before the issue of the patent, as follows: In Fig.2 the letter B should indicate the base-plate, the num ral 101 should designate capstan-screws,

numeral 102 should designate lugs, numeral 103 should designate the frame, and numeral 104 should designate tracks 01' ways; and that the drawings and the patent should be read as herein set forth that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 28th day of August, A. 1)., 1900.

[sEAL] F. L. CAMPBELL,

Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

Oountersigned WALTER H. OHAMBEELIN,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

